


Three of Clubs

by mirawonderfulstar



Category: Re-Animator (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, Domestic Fluff, Drinking, M/M, Snowed In, Unresolved Sexual Tension, set in a timeline i’m making up to allow the first movie to take place over more time than a weekend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21971701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirawonderfulstar/pseuds/mirawonderfulstar
Summary: They’d discussed it quite thoroughly before the holiday season, he and Meg, and she had promised that this was the Christmas she worked up the nerve to tell her father that they were dating and that she’d like to bring him along to their celebration with the extended family. But, once again, the dean had been in a less-than-receptive mood, or something had come up with work, or one of the cousins was bringing a significant other and so the spare room in the family house on the coast of Maine would be taken, Dan couldn’t remember what the reason had been this year.Dan and Herbert bond while snowed into the house on Christmas Eve.
Relationships: Daniel Cain/Herbert West, Daniel Cain/Megan Halsey
Comments: 5
Kudos: 61





	Three of Clubs

**Author's Note:**

> i had to work night shift Christmas Eve AND Christmas night and it was dead as hell and this Just Happened 
> 
> i have this vision in my head of a nicer parallel universe where Meg and Dan and Herbert all become friends and either end up in a little poly V or Meg and Dan break up amicably but she sticks around and her and Herb get along and don’t lowkey hate each other and the three of them rob graves together or something idk. i’m an adult and i can do what i want and that includes flagrantly woobifying Herbert West. anyway this is the beginning of that timeline

Snow was falling and had been steadily for the last two hours. Arkham was blanketed in white, cold and silent. And why shouldn’t it be? Nearly the entirety of the small college town had gone home for Christmas. Meg and her father had made their traditional pilgrimage to Maine, leaving Dan, once again, behind. 

Dan sighed and rolled over in bed, punching his pillow into a more comfortable shape. They’d discussed it quite thoroughly before the holiday season, he and Meg, and she had promised that this was the Christmas she worked up the nerve to tell her father that they were dating and that she’d like to bring him along to their celebration with the extended family. But, once again, the dean had been in a less-than-receptive mood, or something had come up at work, or one of the cousins was bringing a significant other and so the spare room in the family house on the coast of Maine would be taken, Dan couldn’t remember what the reason had been this year. 

He tried not to think spitefully of the dean, if only for Meg’s sake, but it stung nonetheless. To be excluded from Meg’s family, fiance on her word alone and to nobody else, stung. He’d tried to buy her a ring in the summer and she’d told him to wait until he graduated. Dan understood, he did, but… 

The faint glow of Christmas lights he’d hung halfheartedly in the living room the week before, shining from under the door, was the only bright spot in Dan’s room. He’d been laying in bed for over an hour, waiting by the phone for Meg’s call, and the sun had set around him. And then the snow had started, and Dan had considered calling her himself, but the risk somebody else answered- some gossipy aunt or small child who didn’t know better than to announce him to the whole room- was too great, and so he didn’t.

Dan wished, by no means for the first time, that he had a family he could have gone home to for the holidays. Christmas Eve, and all he had for company was Rufus, who had been curled at the foot of his bed since he’d come home from his shift at the hospital in the afternoon. 

He rolled over again with a small sigh and moved the length of the bed to pet Rufus. The cat purred and crooked its head, not bothering to get up from where it was laying. “Not that you’re bad company,” Dan murmured, scratching under Rufus’s chin, “but would it kill Meg to remember we’d agreed to chat today? Just to call me so I can wish her a Merry Christmas?” Rufus meowed and licked Dan’s hand. “Yeah, I know, she’d call if she could. She’s probably busy with her family.” 

Dan sighed again, looking out the window at the still falling snow, the dim glow of the porch light around the side of the house highlighting just how thick and fast it was coming down. He debated changing into pajamas and going to sleep, but it seemed a bit pathetic. He thought about getting up to look at what was on television… if he got really desperate he could catch up on a book… 

A loud thunk startled Dan from his thoughts, and Rufus hissed as his hand clenched in the animal’s fur. For a second Dan was frozen, reaching for the baseball bat he kept by the nightstand, thinking of intruders, and then he relaxed. Herbert. Herbert was still in the house. A swear from the hallway a moment later confirmed Dan’s assumption, and he set the bat down and got up to open the door. 

Herbert was leaning against the wall by the door to the basement, nursing his hand which seemed to be bleeding. He looked up when Dan stepped into the hall, his brows knitting together and some brief anxiety flitting over his face. 

“You okay?” Dan offered, gesturing to Herbert’s hand. “And what was that noise?” 

“It was, ah…” Herbert’s frown deepened. “An experiment I’m working on.” 

“You break something down there?” 

“What?” Herbert looked startled. 

“Break something? Cut yourself on some glass?” Dan repeated, gesturing to Herbert’s hand. 

“Oh.” Herbert’s expression cleared. “Yes. It’s nothing serious.” 

“You’re bleeding onto the carpet.” Dan observed. “Come into the kitchen and get that cleaned up.” 

Herbert, surprisingly, followed Dan with no further comment and took the band-aids and antibiotic he handed him from the cabinet above the stove. Dan turned and leaned against the counter as Herbert washed his hand, sniffing slightly at the coldness of the water.

“Do you want something?” Dan found himself saying. “Tea? You drink tea, right? I know that box in the cupboard isn’t Meg’s or mine.” 

Herbert turned to look at him again as he dried his hands and dabbed ointment on what did look like a very deep cut. “I like tea, yes. I’ve never been very fond of coffee.” 

“Don’t know how you’re going to hack it as a doctor, then.” Dan joked as he pulled mugs down and set a pot of water to boil on the stove. 

“Oh, I’ll muddle through.” Herbert replied lightly. He was watching Dan curiously, and Dan realized with a start this was probably the most time they’d spent in each other’s presence since Herbert had lived with him. His roommate generally kept to himself when Meg was around, which was most of the time. Not that Dan minded, it was good to have somebody who knew when to stay out of the way, but… 

“Wanna see what’s on tv?” Dan offered as he handed Herbert a mug with a teabag in it and reached to pour a measure of boiling water into his own mug of instant coffee. 

Herbert looked doubtful. “My work…” 

“Probably isn’t something you should be doing with an open cut.” Dan pointed out, and Herbert shrugged. 

“I suppose you’re right.” Herbert took the pot from Dan and poured the remainder of the water into his own mug. He set the small pot down in the sink and turned back to Dan with his shoulders squared. “Lead on, then.” 

Dan chuckled and ducked out of the kitchen and into the small living room where he fiddled with the tv for a moment, frowning. “Huh. Looks like the snow isn’t doing anything good for the signal.” 

“Oh, that’s alright.” Herbert said. He sounded almost relieved. Dan suspected it was because it gave him a reprieve to slip back into his room or down to the basement again, and so was taken aback when Herbert sat down in the ratty old armchair in the corner of the room, tucking his feet up underneath himself and curling his hands around the mug of steeping tea. 

Dan settled himself on the couch and sipped at his coffee, trying not to yawn. “So,” he said after several moments, and Herbert tilted his head, “why didn’t you go home to your parents for Christmas? Where are they, Switzerland?” 

“They lived in Canada, actually, and they’re dead.” Herbert said with a quirk of his brow. Dan almost choked on his coffee. 

“God, I’m sorry, Herbert, I didn’t mean—“ 

“It’s quite alright.” Herbert said dismissively. “It was a long time ago. Doctor Gruber—“ Herbert stopped speaking, his expression darkening, and he took a drink of tea. 

“That was your advisor over there, right?” Dan prodded gently. He wasn’t sure why he suddenly wanted to get to know Herbert, other than they shared a home and practically never spoke outside of class. And they were rapidly approaching being snowed in. And, alright, it was Christmas Eve, and Dan was feeling morose about being alone. 

“Yes. He was… Doctor Gruber was a good man.” Herbert said into his mug. Dan waited, but Herbert didn’t elaborate, and he didn’t know what to make of that. 

“I don’t have anywhere to go for Christmas, either.” Dan offered. Herbert scoffed. 

“I’m surprised Miss Halsey didn’t invite you along with her. Where is she, anyway?” Dan winced, and Herbert pursed his lips. “I didn’t realize this was a sore subject, my apologies.” 

“It’s fine.” Dan said, waving his hand. “The dean doesn’t know we’re dating so she can hardly bring me along to her family Christmas.” 

“Oh.” Herbert said, a good deal softer than Dan would have expected. Dan shrugged. 

“She was meant to call this evening but I’m sure she’s just busy with her relatives.” 

Herbert hummed. “Where are they?” 

“A beach house her dad owns in Maine. They go every year.” 

Herbert hummed again. “It’s a bit cold for the beach, don’t you think? Although _you’d_ probably be alright, in any case.” Herbert gave Dan a very deliberate once-over and Dan frowned before looking down at the thick sweater he’d put on after showering when he finished his shift earlier. 

“Are you… making fun of my sweater?” Dan asked, incredulous. Herbert smirked. “Mr I-wear-suits-to-Hill’s-lectures-because-I-know-it-pisses-him-off?” The expression on Herbert’s face softened into something more genuine, and Dan felt himself smiling in response to the subtle change. 

“You think it does?” 

“I know it does. He hates you.” 

Herbert seemed unbothered. “I don’t dress for Hill but that’s good to know in any case.”

“S’pose I should have guessed, you practically live in a white shirt and a tie.” Dan said, and then shook his head with a small grin, taking a sip of his coffee. “Why are we even talking about this?” 

“Would you rather we talk about something else? Why you’re pining over not being with Miss Halsey’s family rather than spending time with your own?” Herbert said with raised eyebrows. 

Dan let out a short laugh. “I don’t have a family, either. My parents died when I was a kid, too.” 

Herbert didn’t say anything but he looked stricken and Dan shook his head. “It’s fine, I barely knew them.” 

“How did they die?” Herbert asked, oddly candid despite his earlier expression. 

“Car crash. Yours?” 

“House fire.” 

“That must have been rough.” 

Herbert shrugged. “It is what it is, I suppose. What came after was harder.” 

“Foster care?” 

Herbert nodded, gazing steadily at Dan with a challenge Dan recognized written all over his face. _Don’t you dare pity me._

“Yeah, I was lucky in that regard, I guess.” Dan said, running a hand through his hair and looking away, out the window at the piling snow. “My grandmother took me in. She lived long enough to see me get into medical school.” 

“But not long enough to see you marry Miss Halsey.” Herbert said, casually, like an observation, and Dan laughed again. 

“That’s about the shape of it, yeah.” He propped his legs up on the couch and stretched, sleepy despite the coffee. “She was so proud I got in on a full scholarship, too. I hate to think what she’d say if she knew I was risking that dating the daughter of the dean.” 

“And so you need a roommate.” Herbert said, murmured, almost, and Dan looked at him consideringly. 

“You obviously don’t. Financially, I mean.” 

For a moment Herbert stared at him, his expression undecipherable, and Dan was struck by how such a small person could look forbidding even while curled in a chair nursing a mug of tea in one bandaged hand. Then he said, “No. But I… don’t like to live alone.” It came out like a confession. 

“Does anybody, really?” Dan said, and Herbert relaxed very slightly. 

“ _I_ don’t know.” Herbert said with a haughty epression that made Dan’s lips twitch into another smile. 

“Well, I know it’s fairly well understood that people don’t like to be alone on Christmas, at any rate. It’s also pretty typical to spend Christmas doing something fun.”

“Did you have something particular in mind?” Herbert asked. 

“Not really, but I don’t have a shift tomorrow.” Dan stood up. “Want a drink?” 

“Besides the tea?” Herbert looked startled. 

“Yes, Herbert, besides the tea. I have wine and I think Meg left some eggnog over here the other day.” Dan made to head back into the kitchen, and then crooked a smile at Herbert’s trepidation. “Don’t you drink?” 

“I have done, yes, I just…” 

‘You don’t work tomorrow, do you?” 

“No.” 

“Then live a little.” 

Herbert let Dan pour him an eggnog, rum and spices Meg had put together earlier in the week and left in his fridge, and the two of them ended up settled side by side on the couch, the battered coffee table pulled up nearly to their knees as Dan spread out cards. 

“—No, listen, Herbert, this is simple.”

“This is a game for four players, Daniel, I don’t understand what you expect to accomplish here.” 

Dan drained the rest of his drink and set the glass down before leaning back and crossing his arms, staring at Herbert with amusement. “Fine, then you show me something.” 

Herbert parted his lips with a soft “tch” and gathered up the cards, shuffling them rapidly, but Dan wasn’t looking at his hands. He was watching his eyes behind his glasses, dark lashes fluttering against pale skin. Herbert fanned the cards out and held them up for Dan to pick one. Three of clubs. When he gave the card back to Herbert he stuck it into the deck and handed it over to Dan. 

“Shuffle them.” Dan did, and Herbert took them back. He pulled out the three of clubs and passed it over to Dan, who whistled. 

“Impressive. You did that very smoothly.” 

“Simple misdirection.” Herbert dismissed, shuffling the cards again.

“Misdirection.” Dan repeated. Maybe it was the wine he’d had but he wondered, suddenly, how many people had looked, really looked, at Herbert. He wasn’t much to look at, except he sort of was. Expressive face, pretty mouth. He had a mole above his lip that Dan found inexplicably cute. There was a faint pink to his cheeks now, whether from the alcohol or the praise Dan didn’t know. 

Herbert met his gaze as he set the cards back down. The part of Dan that would normally have recoiled from being caught staring had settled into quietude with the wine, but his pulse had other ideas. Herbert seemed very close and very warm all of a sudden, or maybe Dan was warm, he wasn’t sure. 

For a moment they looked at each other, Dan’s eyes drawn to Herbert’s lips as they parted on an exhalation, and for a moment Dan was sure one or both of them was about to do something reckless. 

And then the phone rang and Dan’s head jerked up, towards the door to his bedroom. 

“That’ll be your girlfriend at last.” Herbert said coolly, and when Dan blinked and looked back at him the moment had broken. Herbert was avoiding his eyes, shuffling the cards again, almost compulsively. There was a pinched look to his face that Dan filed away as he stood up and hurried into his room to answer Meg. 

Dan laid awake for a long time that night, long after he’d heard Herbert go back down to the basement. He didn’t hear him come up to bed. 


End file.
